Keynote Speaker:

AnnMarie Thomas is an educator, designer, engineer, and writer. She is passionate about creating playful learning experiences.

Dr. Thomas spent 19 years as a college faculty member. Her first two years as an educator were at Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. From 2006-2024 she taught at the University of St. Thomas, where she was a tenured full professor of both Mechanical Engineering (in the School of Engineering) and of Entrepreneurship (in the Opus College of Business.) She is the co-founder of the University of St. Thomas’ Center for Engineering Education, and the graduate certificate in Engineering Education. AnnMarie founded and led the Playful Learning Lab (at UST), which explored ways to encourage children, of all ages, to embrace playful learning. She and her students created Squishy Circuits.

She is the executive director of OK Go Sandbox, which she cofounded with the band OK Go (not familiar with OK Go? check out OK Go's playfully engineered video for 'This Too Shall Pass').  As an author, AnnMarie has written dozens of peer reviewed articles and book chapters. She is the author of the book “Making Makers: Kids, Tools, and the Future of Education.”

As a consultant and collaborator, AnnMarie has worked with varied organizations including Disney Imagineering, LEGO Education, LEGO Foundation, Google, Alinea, MN Children’s Museum, OceanX, Twin Cities Trapeze Center, Diavolo, and numerous K-12 schools. She is a frequent keynote speaker at events and conferences around the world.

In 2020, AnnMarie was awarded the LEGO Prize.

AnnMarie earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Caltech, and an S.B. in Ocean Engineering (with a minor in Music) from MIT. She completed a professional certificate in Sustainable Design from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. AnnMarie has a post-doctoral certificate in Marketing and Management from University of Florida’s Warrington School of Business (which led to AACSB Scholarly Academic status.) To aid her work with the Twin Cities' Metro Deaf School, AnnMarie took multiple classes through Gallaudet University in Deaf Studies and American Sign Language.

AnnMarie is an amateur aerialist (specializing in static and flying trapeze), and a beginner magician.  And, oh yeah, she's a working mom.

Her work focuses on the intersection of engineering, art, and education. The more unusual the challenge the better! She has experience creating custom electrical/mechanical systems and prototypes for museums, underwater robots, dance troupes, and galleries.